Sheet separating device



July 12, 1932. B UPHAM 1,867,038

SHEET SEPARATING DEVICE Filed Nov. 27, 1929 WITNESSES 1 Y INVENTOR Q --&-. Mg.

Patented July 12, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BURT F. UIPHAM, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO KILLER PRINTING MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA SHEET SEPABA'I'ING DEVICE Application filed November 27,-.1929. Serial No. 410,219.

My invention pertains to sheet separating devices, and partlcularly to devices in which the top sheet is separated from a pile of sheets by being lifted vertically therefrom, as by means of a plurality of pneumatic separator feet operating on the sheet adjacent the front edge of the latter. Y

Sheet separating devices of the above character have been refined to such an extentthat they are highlyseflicient in effecting the desired result of lifting one sheet, and one sheet only, from the pile at each operation. However, the difliculty does sometimes occur, particularly when paper stocks of an especially difficult character have to be separated, that two or more sheets are lifted from the pile, and consequently carried forward by associated devices of the printing press feeder or other machine in connection with which the separator device is employed, instead of one sheet only being lifted. 'It is the principal object of my invention to improve, in this respect, upon prior sheet separating devices of this character, and to provide a separating device in which the lifting of more than one sheet will be still further insured against,

claims. By way of example, one such form is described in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1' is a partly sectional side view of the device, and Fig. 2 is a detail view of a portion of the device as seen from the line II-II of Fig. 1.

A sheet separating device of well known form, to which my invention is applicable, comprises a stock table 10 for carrying a pile of sheets, such, for instance, as the. pile of blank paper intended for automatic feeding into a printing press. Such a table is ordinarily provided with automatic mechanism for raising it gradually as the sheets are removed one by one from the pile of sheets carried thereby, so that the top of the pile is maintained at a constant level. The pile of sheets is maintained in proper position upon the stock table by means of a pair of front stakes 11, and usually by a pair of side stakes (not shown). A rear stock guide is also usually employed for confining the pile in a roughly correct position with respect to the front stakes. cludes a separator bar 12 arranged for vertical movement, as by means of plungers 13, provided at the end of the bar, which enter suitable guides 14 formed in the side frames 15 of the device. F rom.the separator bar depend a plurality of stems 16 the lower ends of which carry pneumatic separator feet 17, which are connected, as by hose 18, with the interior of the separator bar 12, the latter being hollow and having a connection 19 with a suitable suction pump. A rock shaft Such a device further in- 20 is oscillatably mounted in the frame 15,

tion, whereby the top sheet of the pile be-.

comes attached thereto. When the separator feet rise, they carry the top sheet of the pile with them, and sustain it'in position to be taken away by feed members forming part of the mechanism with which the separating device is employed.

According to my invention, I provide upon the front stakes 11, small lips or projections 21 which extend a slight distance inwardly towards the pile of sheets so that the front edges of the sheets must brush past these projections in being raised by the separator feet 17. These lips or projections may conveniently be constituted by relatively small wires (Fig. 2) passing through holes drilled in thefront stakes and secured therein so that the parts which extend from the operative faces of-the front stakes are disposed in a horizontal position. In association with be directed both below and above the projections 21. These blower pipes are conthe proper operation of the projections 21,.

I provide means for combing the top sheets continuously towards the front stakes 11'. Such'combing means comprises a plurality of comber blocks 24 (preferably two in number) of substantialweight,-through the top parts of which blocks passages 25 are formed for the reception of cords 26. These cords are secured upon the shaft in such manner that their ends participate inthe rocking movements of the latter. By this means a pull isintermittently exercised by the cords 26 upon the blocks 24, causing the m latterto vibrate somewhat and comb the top sheets of the pile towards the front stakes 11. To this end, the blocks 24 are so adjusted on the cords, 26 thatthey occupy'a' somewhat tilted position with respect to the rear cornor of thepile.

' Inorder that the position'of the blocks 24 can be readily adjusted, especially for sheets of varying sizes, the blocks 24; are formed for the reception of screws 36 whichpass up; wardly therethrough and enter the passages so as to exert africtional pressure on the cords 26. This frictional pressurecan be so adjusted thatall that is necessary, in order to adjustfthe position of the blocks, to change their' angle' or apply .them to sheets of different sizes, is to move them manually for ward or backward on the cords 26. To assist the combing 'action and further insure'the maintenance of the front of the pile against the stakes 11, the stock table 10 is inclined downwardly and forwardly, as shown.

In the operation of the device, the combingaction of the blocks 24 results in the to few sheets of the pile being maintained airly in engagement with the front stakes 11, be-

-- neath the projections 21. The blast of air istween thetop few sheets of the pile and causes a flufled or an separated condition of such sheets, the top sheet being prevented from of the separated and lifted sheet and causes I a fluttering of the latter, which flutterin tends to displace a second sheet, should su the pile. K 1

By the improved se arating device described above, I am ena led to separate efliciently grades of stock which have heretofore given much difficulty in the way of two or. more following sheets being lifted with the top sheet, and I am enabled to separate stocks efliciently at higher speed than has heretofore been possible. v I

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device for separating sheets singly from a pile thereof, compris ng a sheet lifting member adapted to operate on the to sheet, of the pile, means disposed iirthe pat of the sheet being lifted by said member for engagement with the ed e' of such sheet, means for directing an air b ast towards the pile both below and above said engagement means, and means for combing the top sheets of the pile towards said engagement means.

' 2. A device for separating sheets singly from a pile thereof, comprising guiding means for engagement b pile, a sheet lifting mem or adapted to operate on the top sheet of the pile adjacent the front of such sheet, means projecting with respect to said guiding means into the path. of the sheets being lifted for enga ement with the ed es of such sheets, means or directing an air last towardsthe pile both below and above said engagement means, and

suing from the blowernozzles 23 enters berising to an undesirable extent by the engagement of its front edge beneath the projections 21. Thus, when the separator feet 17 descend upon the top sheet, this sheet will normally already be separated by an air space from the sheet next succeeding it, so that the lifting of a second sheet 1s rendered unlikely. Upon the separator feet rising, the edge of the top sheet is forced to brush ast the projections 21, with a resultant ten ency of any following sheet'to be brushed off and fall back upon the remainder of the sheets. As the separator feet rise to their topmost position the blast of air, issuing above the projec-' tions 21,. is directed agalnst the under side the front of the 

